Archive for the 'Ryan Dempster' Tag Under 'Angels' Category

Jered Weaver opposes Ryan Dempster on Tuesday night as the Angels and Rangers begin a three-game series that will alter the wild-card race. (Left photo: Reed Saxon, AP; right photo: Tony Gutierrez, AP)

If the Angels are going to make a serious push for the second wild-card playoff spot (since Oakland has virtually put the top spot out of reach), they need something special during the nine-game homestand that begins Tuesday night against Texas. Seven wins, possibly eight, will be necessary to close the 2 1/2-game gap that separates second-place Baltimore from the Angels.

(That deficit could grow to 3 games if the Orioles beat Seattle on Monday night.)

Fortunately for the Angels, they're set up well for pitching in the three games against the Rangers. This series should be a delight for fans who prefer a 2-1 white-knuckler over an 11-10 slugfest. The six pitchers scheduled to take the hill for the two teams have a combined record of 79-39 and an ERA of 3.58.

The Angels made their move to get a front-end-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, acquiring Zack Greinke from the Brewers. Now their AL West rivals, the Texas Rangers, have responded in kind, acquiring Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs in a trade.

The Rangers gave up third baseman Christian Villanueva and right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks to get Dempster, according to online reports. The deal that came to light right at the 1 p.m. PDT non-waiver trade deadline Tuesday.

Dempster has a record of 5-5 with an ERA of 2.25, second in the National League behind the Giants' Ryan Vogelsong (2.22).

But he's 35, and he's never pitched in the American League. And as our friend Evan P. Grant of The Dallas Morning News pointed out on Twitter, the righty is 5-9 with 5.81 ERA as a starter in AL ballparks. Since he went back to being a starter for the Cubs in 2008 (he started for the Marlins and Reds between 1998 and 2003 before becoming a reliever for the Cubs from 2004-07), he's 2-2 with a 4.57 ERA in AL parks.